RP: Herivaeth
At the height of ancient Medieval times, things are running amok in the large, central country of Herivaeth. The cowardly Emperor, Aurelius Ferris VII, has no plans to take action against the rises in dark magic, bandit raids, and other violence in the countryside. Along with this fact, the once seldom seen and ferocious Dragon population seems to be rising quickly. It is up to the people of Herivaeth to stop the rising threats. Land Seven holds make up Herivaeth, each with a capital. The smallest hold, and most densely populated, is Salenyth. It is centrally located within the country, and it is in a temperate climate. Salenyth's capital city is Aldlyn, which is the capital of all of Herivaeth. It contains Castle Herivaeth, and many other attractions. The other holds are Korin, a southeastern, more tropical area who's capital city is Southsage, Thireniid, which is directly on the eastern coast of Herivaeth, who's capital is Mistrock, Ulaym, the south-central hold with a drier climate who's capital is Summermount, Eriwyn, the large, long strip of far northern land who's capital is Pineford. Siresh is the western hold who's capital is Aelburn, and the southwestern hold of Aerisae, who's capital is Grayholt. Bestiary *'Domestic/Farm Animals': Cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, and other domestic creatures can be found throughout uninhabited areas, and in homes too, due to their commonality. *'Sprites': Sprites are small, plant-eating, destructive creatures. Sprites appear as small humanoids that are green, with plumes of fringe that appear as flower petals. Sprites are quite friendly, though they must eat twice their body size in chlorophyll to stay alive. They stand about four inches tall and always travel in packs of at least 8, though some have ranged up to 30. Sprites require chlorophyll in their bloodstream, which they cannot produce. They must eat other plants to get it, thus are primary consumers, and a nuisance to farmers. Sprites fringes are extremely sensitive, and if stepped on or plucked will cause a lot of damage to the Sprite, even that of becoming paralyzed or permanent brain trauma. Sprites usually appear a deep green, though when hungry or starving their tone pales to a white. They have pitch black pupils and no evident nose on their face, scenting things through the center of the petal on their heads, and have mouths only for the purpose of eating. *'Dragons': Massive, destructive creatures that can be spotted in the most remote of all areas, dragons are a rare sight to behold. Dragons appear in three different patterns. A dark black, a deep red, and a soft, icy white. However, despite varying appearance they all are the same and can mate with one and other. They have massive pearls within their mouths that produce a methane like substance, that when secreted with a dragons poison lets out a flame that can burn almost any substance for days. Female dragons are a common sight, and though male dragons are more common, pregnant female dragons, or High Dragons, are a very rare sight. They lay their pups, or drakes, in secluded areas near lakes and ponds. Drakes are very commonly seen due to the fact that one High Dragon can have up to fifty drake eggs at a time, which then grow into curious Drakes. Because of such, drakes make a good supply of armor, as their solid hide is much like a tough leather, and their bone is as solid as steel. As such, Drakeskin and Drakebone armor is a common sight throughout Siverron. Drakes do not have pearls within their mouths due to their age, and their poison is harmless, so unless one swoops over you and claws or bites you, they are a relatively weak enemy. Matured, male dragons breathe flames so intense they can burn any humanoid to death in a single blow, and their flames are resilient, and can burn for quite a while. However, mature male dragons are not nomads, and as such constantly mate with female dragons to make more Drakes. If one is encountered, it will be in a massive nest or crater in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Male drakes entire purpose is to find an area where he can lay. Though lazy, when encountered in battle they are a force to be reckoned with. Matured male dragons, which are called Legends, secrete a liquid to help females find them. Dragon Legends and High Dragons are often found together, surrounded by at least a dozen young drakes. *'Skeletons, Lichs, and assorted Undead': Necromancy can summon undead to form an assortment of different creatures. Skeletons are completely decomposed, and if unarmored, the weakest of the undead. They, however, carry the most intelligence when summoned, and can wield assorted weapons, such as bows and arrows, swords of all kinds, shields, and can be armored if the original wearer and wielder had the tools. Undead in general are decomposing or newly dead corpses summoned by necromancy. Due to their half-decomposed brains, undead can only wear armor if the original owner was, but leave weapons behind when they are resurrected. They walk slowly, though when alerted sprint at their enemy and punch him with enough force to knock him down. Appearing as damaged, decomposed bodies with a sickly, almost green pigment, whites in eyes, bones showing in many places, and plenty of wounds from their last death. Lichs are just more powerful undead, usually with magic armor. Due to a more powerful summoner, they have the ability to use weapons, and with their previous armor, and magic armor, are damage sponges to most attacks. Lichs are a rare sight however, though if seen, are tough opponents, also being able to summon low power Undead and Skeletons on their own. *'Thrusts': Thrusts are strange creatures, being that they seem to be made of only powder, which when hit by a sword, blunt instrument, or arrow can shapeshift to avoid the shot. Thrusts appear as vague humanoids, made of a black, ferrous powder that can pull any iron weapons away from an enemy and into its hands. It seems to pull any user with iron armor close, though the magnetism is not strong or complex enough to actually get his armor, and when he closes in far enough, he is propelled back as the Thrust realigns itself to force its poles the other way. Thrusts are not invincible, however, as enchanted weapons and armor can easily go through the magnetic field, whacking against the powder that hardens on impact, throwing some of it out. Thrusts can only be summoned, and require plenty of iron powder to form. Upon death, thrusts seem to collapse into a pile of powder which turns brown, then disappears into the ground. *'Trolls' *'Naturals': Otherwise known as Elementals or Guardians, Naturals are considered to be living embodiments of a particular element. They usually reside near, or around, locations that are considered sacred, but can also manifest around a certain object, animal, or even Humanoids. It is an utter mystery how they are formed, but this much is known about them: smaller, and weaker Naturals are usually more intelligent and less threatening then larger, more powerful ones; sometimes presenting themselves as a person’s guardian spirit. The element that a Natural manifests itself as also seems to be completely random, as it is not entirely rare to find a Flame Natural upon a frigid mountaintop, or Spark Natural in the middle of a great lake. Races *'Human': A well-rounded, versatile race, humans can do fairly well in any professions. Native to Herivaeth, humans are the most common race. *'Viltun': Viltuns are heavily built, burly humans. Most are fair skinned and haired, and most engage in professions that involve brute force or strength. They come from the continent of Vilta, from the far northwest, across the White Sea. Because of this, most speak with thick accents, their t's sounds like d's. *'Bachi': The Bachi are a race of humaniods who hail from the Murasaki Achipeligo, a large island chain off of Herivaeth's south-eastern coast. They are the descendents of a clan of primitive humans, who were cursed by the gods for their blatent disrespect. The curse laid upon their bloodline manifests itself as a black ring marking upon their chests, and acts like a parasite in the way it feasts upon Mana Energy. Because of this curse, the Bachi have little or no Mana to use in Magical arts, and thus make poor Mages. However, this weakness is also a great strength, as the mark feasts upon all Mana energies; giving the Bachi almost compete immunity to Magic. *'Canius': Canius are a thick furred race of humanoid creatures from the far north area known as Can Dorah. They seem to have ancestry in primitive canines, and as such have snouts and a thick coat of fur. Males have thick fluffs of manes, and females lack the manes but have two breasts for the multiple young that they have at once. Due to their unique nature, Canius can only give birth to other Canius' children. They have tails and are very similar to dogs and humans at the same time. Canius have accents similar to many humans of Herivaeth, pronouncing their a's as uh's. (While a normal accent would have left side pronounced as wh-UH-t, Canius speech would have it pronounced wh-OH-t.) Canius seem to work better with ranged weapons, especially crossbows. *'Elves': Elves are a widespread, general species of short, human looking figures with sharp features and pointed, wide ears. There are many kinds of elves, some tall, some short and thin. They vary by region, and have heightened abilities in magic. *'Dwarves': A short, burly race similar to Viltun, Dwarves come from an eastern country known as Dvaroh. They sport heavy beards, and facial hair on females is not uncommon. Most wear their hair long and in braids, and their stocky form is due to Dvaroh being a cold country, their fat acting as a natural coat. Usually seen with heavy fur jackets and armor, along with massive axes, war hammers, and conical helmets, Dvaroh are natural born warriors and mercenaries. *'Orcs': Orcs are humanoid creatures with a knack for fighting. They have grotesque features, little hair, though what little they have grows straight and back, dark olive to greyish black skin, and a muscular build. Characters EliteMaster117 Main Character *'Name:' Griffin "Finn" Picard *'Race:' Human *'Profession:' None, Finn is a wanderer, rogue, thief, and pickpocket. *'Weapons': Dual Saxe knives, four throwing knives, Dwarven longbow *'Personality:' Of a completely "neutral" alignment, Finn makes quick money stealing, pickpocketing, and getting items of worth for the best clients. A cloak, a few daggers, a longbow, and a set of leather armor with a fur neck lining is all he uses against the elements of the wild. Born in the slums of Greyholt, Finn never knew his parents and was left on the street at birth, taken in by a small group of thieves. He grew and left at the age of fourteen. He excels in climbing, sneaking, pickpocketing, and lockpicking. Finn does not use magic but has dead aim with his longbow. *'Appearance:' Finn has shoulder length, light brown hair, greyish brown eyes, fair skin, and is thin. He is often seen with leather armor, the neck armor lined with warm, hare fur, a green or gray cloak, metal cestus, and multiple knives with sheathes hidden around in his armor. Side Characters *'Brilind'e': A female Canius information broker, Brilind'e, known better as Bril, often gave information to Finn. Bril had green eyes and a orange and black striped coat with a whitish undercoat. Bril operated out of Pineford, in a small inn called the Laughing Dagger Corner Club, which she used as a front for her business. Baracuss Main Character *'Name:' Dalamus Tistaram *'Race:' Human/Bachi *'Profession:' None, though he will usually take up any temporary profession in order to make a profit. *'Weapons:' A razor-sharp Nodachi (A larger variant of a Katana which requires two hands to wield) that he carries on his back, a Tanto that he conceals upon his person at all times, and his hands and feet due to being a skilled martial artist and unarmed fighter. *'Personality:' Dalamus has been accused of having a two-sided personality; in most cases, he comes across as a quiet, calculating being who always "looks before he leaps". At other times however, he becomes hot-headed, short-tempered, and can actually act completely insane. No matter which direction his mood swings however, he considers himself a sucker for strong ale, beautiful women, and a warm bed. *'Appearance:' Like most members of his sub-class of Humans, Dalamus has long black hair that is usually tied in a ponytail, purplish eyes that appear to glow in dim light, and a pale complexion. He usually wears a worn, grey-white Shōzoku (Ninja garb, no cowl) that he keeps loose around his chest to ensure that others could view his curse mark. He wears a dark blue sash tightly around his waist, which keeps his Nodachi on his back, along with a pair of mud-stained, white leather boots. Side Characters *'Luft:' A lesser Wind Natural that has, for reasons unknown, made Dalamus Tistaram the focus of its protection ever since the Bachi was five years old. Luft is the name that Dalamus gave the Natural, as he decided it needed a name if it was to be his guardian spirit. The Natural appears as a visible orb of swirling air, and allows Dalamus to utilize its minor control over the wind element to compensate for his lack of magical ability. *'Sojlerne Brand:' A Higher Inferno Natural whose claimed territory is Ebonshard Keep. It is not evil; though many Naturals, however terrifying they may be, are not. It appeared in Ebonshard in order to expunge a Cult of Necromancers and worshipers of Kuolema, the God of Death, who plotted against the city and people of nearby Pineford. It has an enormous power over the forces of Fire and Heat; its flaming form being so hot that it is blue in color. Story Chapter One 1 Second Month, 12th Day, Year 343 Griffin "Finn" Picard It was a bustling town, Pineford, most of its industry in its namesake- the massive and thick coniferous forest that surrounded the settlement, which was located halfway up a mountain. The old city walls wouldn't be much in a siege, but would hold their own against the elements. They were composed of tall, smoothed out logs lined up around the clearing in which the city was held, the logs' tops trimmed to a sharp point. At the main gates were two towers, poorly built and rotting out of wood. Atop them were two guards, wearing chainmail armor with an emerald green surcoat, iron boots and gauntlets, a conical helmet. The surcoat had the emblem of a tree with talons at the end- the symbol of Pineford. They had wooden shields, reinforced with iron, though the two guards on post at the entrance to Pineford seemed that their shields hadn't seen rest or repair in ages, the wood rotting, the iron frame rusting. "Should be easy enough to get a few coins for a new few throwing knives. I'm in need, heh.", Finn said to his Palomino horse, Beggar. His horse shook its head twice in some sort of reply. From above, Finn heard a deep, heavily accented voice. "Stop right there, citizen! State your business in Pineford or leave!" Finn had a typical response, and as always, calmly stated. "Just a traveling minstrel. Need a place to stay for today, I've been walking around Herivaeth for days!" The guard looked over to his counterpart across the gate and mumbled something unintelligible to him. The other nodded to him and the first looked back at Finn. "Welcome to Pineford! Make sure to visit the Laughing Dagger Corner Club!", the guard said, pulling open one side of the city gate with a lever. "And remember! Don't cause any trouble!", he added as a side note, one any guard would add. The soft thuds of hooves on damp dirt immediately changed as the gate was opened, to that of loud 'clacks' on cobblestone. The town was comprised of one main street, along with another running across the center of it. At the other edge of the town; directly ahead, was a large, rectangular building. Obviously the city hall, where the Jarl would be located. Directly to the right of Finn, at the southeastern edge of the town, was the Laughing Dagger. Finn broke off of the main road, away from the bustling, loud village, across a dirt alleyway and unto a smaller cobblestone road, to the Corner Club. Finn slipped off of his horse, patting him on the head and rummaging through a duffel hung on his belt. He pulled out a fresh carrot and offered it to Beggar, who happily obliged and began chewing on the vegetable. "Stay here, boy.", he ordered to the horse. For some reason, Finn had never had to tie his horse down. It didn't seem to want to wander off. He and his master had a mutual relationship. They both relied on each other for companionship and survival. Finn traveled up the steps, the wooden planks creaking as he walked on them and across the raised platform to the door. He opened it and was immediately met with the warm, ale-tainted air of an inn and tavern. A drunken dwarf with bright red hair was sitting at the bar, chugging down entire tankards of mead at a time. Two seats away from him was a tall, orangish skinned elf, slowly drinking a bottle of wine. There were seven tables arranged throughout the room, and three seats around a fireplace, centrally located, along with some dusty windows placed against the ceiling. The bartender was a Canius named Dariu'nan, Bril's brother. Finn pulled down his hood and walked over to the bar, taking a seat at one of the empty stools between the dwarf and elf. Finn had no intention of entertaining at the moment, and had left his lute outside, with Beggar. He looked like every other sellsword, except more of a stealthy one, a longbow on his back and multiple knife hilts protruding under his cloak. Dariu saw Finn and his dull expression immediately changed to one of an excited one. He slid over to Finn and immediately gave him the typical entry. "Ahh! My favorite customer! What can I get you, ol' chap?", Dariu asked. "Oh nothing. No spices, drinks, or even more spices.", Finn replied. "Oh alright. Well, sunny day, isn't it?", Dariu questioned once more. Finn chuckled. "Well yeah, but I always wear my cloak anyways. Outside, inside, or outside.", he replied. Dariu shook his head. "If you need to use the restroom, feel free to go in the back. We always offer one for a friend.", Dariu responded. Finn nodded and stood up from the stool, quickly walking behind the bar and opening a door to a divider, stairs leading up, a trap door leading down. Finn closed the door behind him and opened the trap door, jumping down into the stone walled chambers. It was a simple, square room, books surrounding the walls, along with some art and other assorted shelves, cabinets, and pantries. To the rear center was a desk, paperwork and ledgers scattered and stacked across the desk. The tiger-striped Canius looked up from her work with a surprised expression. "Finn, my friend! I didn't expect you here today.", Bril exclaimed. "Don't lie. You seem to always know when I'm coming, old friend.", Finn said, going to sit down. He pulled out one of the two chairs facing the desk and sat down. "Now, I have some important things to discuss. Give me whatever you can.", Finn said, pulling a rolled up piece of paper from under his cloak. 2 Dalamus Tistaram "So I told the guy; 'if you ever cross paths with me again, you’d better hope you have a bigger sword!’” “Ha! That’s rich mate, but wha’ happened to the woman you saved?” “Well… erm… she went back to her home village obviously!” “But didn’t you say that she fell for ya’ during the fight with the bandit?” “She… I… uh… h-hey you! Hault!” The guards had been so caught up in their, somewhat fabricated, tales of adventure that they failed to notice the silent figure approaching Pineford’s southern gate, “Oi! I ordered you to hault, Ponytail!” The guard shouted down at the black-haired warrior, but he didn’t seem to listen, or didn’t seem to care that he was being yelled at, “We won’t be opening the gate till ye tell us your business in Pineford!” The other guard bellowed, unsheathing a steel war axe from his belt in order to intimidate the mysterious being; but the latter continued to stroll up to the closed gate, as if it were wide open and inviting him to enter the city. The second guard turned back to the first to order word to be sent to the barracks about a troublemaker that’s trying to enter the city, but before the demands could escape from his mouth; “''Luft...” The unknown warrior whispered, barely loud enough for the guards to hear. In a gust of wind, the being cleared the 12 foot gate in a single leap, and landed softly and without a sound on the opposite side. The guards stood rather dumbfounded for a moment before glancing towards each other, and racing down from their towers with their weapons drawn. They both stepped in front of the strange warrior, their axes flashing in the mid-afternoon sun, “Alright Ponytail, state your business in Pineford before we give you a bloody haircut…” One guard warned, “Hey, Brandr… check out the marking…” The other said, nodding towards the warrior’s bare chest where a black ring looked to be tattooed just below his collarbone, “He’s one of them Bachis, from the Murasaki islands…” “I’ll only ask one more time, Bachi… either state your business in Pineford, or I’ll be forced to remove you from the walls!” The being lowered his head a bit and closed his eyes, looking rather annoyed with the whole situation. Finally, the warrior spoke with sigh, “I’m merely here for food and a bed; a place to rest for the night… now was it really so necessary to try and pick a fight with someone, who very obviously has no means to harm anyone, or to cause any kind of trouble in your city?” The guards, glanced at one another again in question, “In fact, I believe you should worry more about the residents who’re already living within the cities walls,” “And what do you mean by that, outsider!?” Brandr grunted, but slowly sheathed his weapon, “I mean; in the time I’ve been standing here, I’ve already witnessed petty theft, trespassing, and a pickpocketing of your coin purses,” The Bachi explained, with a slight grin upon his face as he pointed after a teen racing away with a red pouch in his hand, “H-hey! Get back here you little brat!” Brandr shouted, running after the adolescent, “Alright, Bachi, you’re free to stay in Pineford… just don’t let me catch you doing anything that violates our laws,” The other guard said, making his way back to the tower and his post, “Have a good afternoon,” “To you as well…” Dalamus smiled, pocketing the second guard’s coin purse, “Friend…” He chuckled a little before heading down the cobbled street. Dalamus was indeed one of the Bachi, a member of a cursed bloodline that has existed since before written history. He was of average height, a medium build, and had sleek black hair and purple colored eyes; just as all Bachi do. He was wearing a well-worn set of Murasaki Soldier fatigues; originally white in color but were now caked with dirt, and looked light brown. Around his waist was a deep blue sash, that was tied tight enough to keep the large, two-handed Nodachi upon his back; he also had a Tanto hidden on his person at all times, and would always hide it somewhere different after every use. He only used his blades in dire circumstances however, as his unarmed, martial art skills were more than enough to take on the opponents he normally faced. “So, what shall it be this time Luft…?” He spoke silently, seemingly to himself, as he glanced at the different stores and the market around him, “Perhaps a jeweler? No… I’ve no talent in gem carving. A temporary Blacksmith assistant? That’s always a viable option,” He continued to list off the different occupations that he could partake in around the town, until his eyes fell upon a pub known as the Laughing Dagger; his smile grew more apparent, “Bartender it is…” 3 Finn took a gulp of his ale, and set it back down on the desk. Finn wiped his mouth and spoke. "The Violet Plains massacre. One week ago. An entire town dead, and no remnants of anyone aside from the wreckage of Violet Rock.", Finn continued to his previous sentence. Bril's eyes glimmered at the thought of the massacre. "Yes, the Violet Plains massacre. I presume, judging by your knowledge of the event, that you were there?", Bril questioned. Finn nodded in reply. "Well, yes.", he started. "So you know that the blood of the citizens was smeared across the mountain trail and the bodies were piled on the main road?", Bril continued. "I arrived looking for some good loot, when I found the buildings burnt down. Who was responsible?", Finn asked in return. "A gang of bandits known as the 'Landscapers'.", Bril replied briskly. "Wearing servant rags with patchwork armor on top, their emblem being that of a pickaxe?", Finn questioned, raising his eyebrow. "How did you know?", Bril wondered to him. "They were dead on arrival to the mountain town. No one could've missed the massive plume of smoke rising from the bare mountain in the middle of a dry landscape. Why?", Finn inquired. Bril's head cocked to the side, similar to a dogs. "I... Don't know." Finn's brows furrowed at the prospect of one of the best information brokers in Herivaeth not knowing. "Their corpses were burnt too, their weapons strewn about as if they were thrown into the air like ragdolls. Some of them were just charred bones... The villagers were in a pile and the flames had done well, but the bandits, there was nothing left of them. Sixteen bandits, thirty villagers.", Finn told. Bril pulled a piece of parchment out and dappled her quill in some ink, quickly pulling it out in an instinctive motion. She quickly wrote, hastily scribbling across the paper. Bril signed the paper with a loud scratch, and pulled a piece of olive ribbon out of seemingly nowhere. "Take this to my brother. I have work to do.", Bril bossed. Finn nodded his head several times and pulled some gold out of his pocket, tossing it on the desk. "Thanks Finn.", Bril replied quickly, looking back to her work. Finn clambered quickly up the narrow stairwell and tossed the door to the main room of the tavern open. At the same moment, the entrance to the tavern was tossed open by a strange fellow in a dirty white garment. 4 "Evening..." Dalamus nodded to nobody in particular, then walked up to the bar where a Canius was serving out the drinks, “To you as well Stranger! What brings you to the Laughing Dagger?” The dog-man greeted, leaning over the bar a bit as the Bachi sat down between an orange-skinned Elf, and an angry-looking Orc, “Ale, Bed, and Coin…” Dalamus replied, “You wouldn’t happen to have any openings would you?” The Canius frowned and shook his head, “I’m sorry, our last open position was filled a week ago,” He explained, glancing over to the well-armed human that had entered the room at the same instance that Dalamus had. The human held out a roll of parchment to the bartender, who took it without question, and sat down at the far end of the bar, “I hear that Lorbul, our local Blacksmith, is looking for an able assistant though,” The Bachi sighed with a smile, and placed three silver pieces upon the bar in front of him, “I’ll take a bottle of your best Ale then; and thanks for the info,” The Canius nodded and swiped the silver coins away, “One bottle of Swampbell Ale coming right up!” The bartender grabbed a lime-green bottle from the shelf behind him and set it down in front of Dalamus, along with a goblet to drink it with, then went back to serving the other bar patrons. The warrior took a few swigs of his warm drink, before noticing that the Orc beside him was glaring at him. “Is there something wrong…?” Dalamus questioned firmly, returning the Orc’s steely gaze. The grey-skinned being leaned towards him a bit, his breath reeking of mutton and mead, “I don’t like you, stranger…” The Orc growled, straightforwardly; his nostrils flaring. Galamus narrowed his eyes a little, his grip on the goblet tightening, “And why is that… dare I ask…?” “I know what you are… heard about you’re kind…” The Orc grumbled, motioning for his two companions to come join his harassment of the Bachi, “You bear the cursed blood… any woman you meet in bed’ll have a cursed child… you’re kind is a plague, a disease,” The Orc smacked Dalamus’ hand as the Bachi went to take another drink; the Ale spilling onto the floor and bar, “So how ‘bout you do us all a favor… and go back to where you came from, bastard…” Dalamus glared at the Orc for a moment, then turned back to his drink with a small chuckle, “And what the hell is so funny, you son of a whore…?” “Oh nothing… just a small thought, a question really,” He smiled, “And what’s that…?” “Why are you so worried about a Bachi ‘infecting’, as you might put it, your children? You’re not a woman, so ''you have nothing to worry about… unless you are a woman, but you’re just too damn ugly for me to realize that you are one!” “That’s it!” The Orc roared, jumping up from his seat and throwing the first punch; Dalamus rose from his seat as well, catching his attacker’s fist, “I’m gonna kill you!” The Orc’s other fist lashed out towards the Bachi’s face, but was caught like the other, “Goodness… I thought women were supposed to be more refined? I suppose that was only a rumor,” Dalamus mocked the Orc before pulling it closer and smashing his head against its nose. The burly fighter wailed in both pain and frustration, and his companions began their own attack. The Bachi jumped up backwards onto the bar, and kicked the drunken dwarf in the face as it tried climbing up after him. The Elf let lose a bolt of magical lightning from his palms towards the Bachi, but was caught off guard as the magic slowed, weakened, and channeled itself into the ring mark upon Dalamus’ chest; spells were ineffective against him. The Elf instead pulled an iron dagger from its sheath on his side, and rushed the Bachi as he jumped down from the bar, “Die you cursed pig!” It shouted, raising the dagger over his head, “Wide open!” Dalamus shouted in response and smashed his palm against the Elf’s unprotected torso, “''Luft!” The attacker was suddenly sent flying backwards, spinning through the air like a windmill, and crashing into one of the many tables in the tavern. The whole place fell silent, save for the groans of pain from the Bachi’s assailants, and after a moment Dalamus turned back to the bartender, and flicked a gold coin to him, “For the damages…” 5 Dariu's jaw dropped as he saw the Bachi walk away. After a slight pause, Dariu looked down and hurriedly grabbed the money, sliding it in his coin purse. Finn was nowhere to be found. "Gavin! Get over here and clean up the tables!", Dariu shouted to the door that led down and upstairs. A young Viltun ran out of the door, around 16, and was forced to hold back a scream as he saw the mess. "Sir! What happened!?", he asked, with a high-pitched voice. He had blond hair slightly longer than shoulder length, bright blue eyes, and was wearing simple beige pants with a tan shirt. "Bar fight.", Dariu responded in a monotone voice, as he reached down to pick up a cleaning pan and brush to clean up the shattered glass bottle. "Magnak! I want you and your damned friends to leave now! Get out!", Dariu suddenly changed his composure, and the calico Canius' mane immediately puffed out. "Oh, you want us, who've been coming here for months, to leave, when this bloody newcomer comes in! We've got more right to be here than that cursed ponytail!", the Orc- Magnak, retorted. "Oh put a legging in it! You started a bloody fight, so get out!", Dariu ordered. Magnak growled and grabbed Dariu's wrist as he wiped the bar, thrusting him over and onto one of the tables. The drunken dwarf stood up from his hungover defeat and pulled out a dagger. The elf threw a chair off of himself and went over to Dariu to press him against the collapsed table. He felt a tug on his collar and was thrust unto the ground. In their rage, the other two failed to notice their elven companion as he was curb stomped by Finn. Only enough to knock him unconscious, of course. Magnak chuckled at Dariu and reached over to grab the metal pan from the bar to whack Dariu when Finn dug his heel behind the Orc's knee, twisting it so the galoot would collapse. The dwarf turned to see what had happened and screamed, immediately rushing at Finn with his dagger. Finn sidestepped the stumbling dwarf and gave him a good clout to the back of the head, enough force to thrust the fat dwarf down. His dagger slid across the hardwood floor of the tavern. The dwarf reached for it but his outstretched hand was met with the hard sole of a leather boot. "Ouf!", he yelled out as his hand was crushed. Finn then pulled out one of his Saxe knives and flipped the dwarf over, face up. Finn flicked the Saxe in his hands and slammed the butt of the knife into the dwarf's face. "Goodnight.", he calmly said to himself. "Thanks, Finn.", Dariu stated, dusting himself off. Finn gave himself a quick salute and walked out of the door. "If they weren't hurt already, now they are. Guards!", he yelled, walking out of the door. 6 Dalamus sighed as he walked out into the street once more, perusing a large wooden Announcement sign that had a multitude of flyers and unrolled scrolls; many of which were stuck there by a cheap dagger or arrow. One particularly caught his eye however; an embroidered bounty letter that was posted by the Jarl’s personal advisor. "’To those who wish to make a great profit for themselves’… Sounds like the kind of job I’ve been looking for," He said to himself, examining the rough sketching of a pillar of flames, "Friend of yours?" He smiled, looking over his shoulder as if talking to some invisible companion. He turned back to the poster, "’Anyone who is able to slay the Inferno Natural, ''Sojlerne Brand, which has overtaken Ebonshard Keep will be rewarded with a handsome sum of Silver and Gold by Jarl Agning; precisely a hundred Gold Coins in total’" He continued, his smile growing larger, "Humph… that old thing’s still up there?" The human that had given the Canius barkeep the letter was standing beside him now, apparently amazed by how long the warrant has been out for the Natural, "That’s been there the last few times I’ve come to town, and I’ve heard that a lot of Sellswords and Mercs have attempted to retake that old tower… none of ‘em made it back," Dalamus raised an eyebrow in surprise, and glanced back at the sketch of the Elemental, "Interesting…" The Bachi grunted, "So why haven’t you attempted to quell this Guardian?" He questioned the Ranger; or at least that was Dalamus’ first impression of what the man was, due to the expensive looking bow and multiple daggers. A Hunter of sorts would’ve been his second guess, due to the leather armor. The man shrugged, "Open combat isn’t really my style… I’m more of the sneaky type. The kind that takes you out from a distance, or slits your throat from an unseen hiding place," He grinned proudly, dragging his thumb across his neck for emphasis, "I see… so the bounty is still out…" Dalamus grunted, turning away from the announcement board and human; heading towards the Central Hall where the Jarl resided. 7 Finn walked away from the Central Hall. The sun was lowering from its peak, at 5:00. He wanted some good food, and the main road obviously held at least three diners in their buildings, tightly packed together. He had left Beggar at the stables at the Laughing Dagger. He passed a noble looking man, obviously not from Pinewood, and squeezed his hand, loosening it at the last moment. Finn swerved abruptly to the left and then rudely bumped into the nobleman. "Watch it!", the Nobleman aggressively shouted. Finn took his moment of rage to conceal the coin purse he had just stolen in one of his pouches. He would be taking a small amount of it to eat, and more for whatever else he needed. Finn looked to his left and saw a homely diner called Paula's Bakery. "Sounds fit enough...", Finn said to himself, opening the door. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The diner was new, as it wasn't in the vacant area that was there two months ago. He was met by an elderly man, a rather plump, elderly woman, and an attractive young wench. Their granddaughter?, Finn thought to himself. The old woman walked up to him. "Take a seat at any of the empty tables, dear. I'll be with ye' in a moment." Finn nodded and went to a table next to the one in the corner. It wasn't too inconspicuous, but not too open. The old woman went over to her granddaughter and mumbled something to her. She nodded and started over to Finn. He removed his cloak and leaned back, waiting for the wench. "Hi! Welcome to Paula's.", she said, with a mock smile. Finn gave her a slight smile and nodded. "Hullo, there.", he said solemnly. She gave him a piece of folded parchment and he touched her hand slightly as he took it. "What can I get you?", she asked. "Oh, anything works...", he said with a slightly flirtatious tone. But he quickly snapped back to a typical wanderer. "Anything you'd really recommend, though.", he continued, moving the tip of his boot to her leg. She blushed very slightly, but ignored the wanderer's obvious flirtatiousness. "Does lamb with egg soup sound alright?", she asked. He nodded. "Not as great as something else I see, but perfect.", he responded, winking at her as she walked away. Glancing over to the kitchen, he saw the old woman chuckling. 8 Nearly three hours later, he placed his fork unto the table, laughing his face off. He wiped a wash of ale off of his face. The restaurant had closed an hour ago, but no one had qualms about how Finn had stayed. It wasn't an inn; but a diner. It had early closing hours, at eight. Though his initial attempts at flirting had been unsuccessful, he broke through the tired, young serving wench with a thin frame and golden blond hair. Her name was Alyss. A fair name, awfully common, however. For the first hour, they had shared common interests, and it was discovered that they both played the lute, but didn't like playing as a minstrel. It was also discovered that neither was from Pineford. Alyss' parents had come when their farm stead went... Bankrupt, in words. Then, he had described his adventures, and they had shared many other facts about each other. The sun had fallen long ago. "Well, I suppose that was a nice meal...", Finn said awkwardly. "Uh, yeah...", Alyss responded. "You know, you seem tired. Maybe I could show you to your room?", Finn asked politely. "That would be nice.", Alyss responded. This wanderer was different from other travelers she had seen in the diner. He was more interesting, and a hell of a charmer, she thought. He sat up from his chair and stacked the plates. "I'll get this after I leave. No need to worry.", Finn explained. She nodded and stepped around the tables until she met a bland, wooden door. She placed a key in the door and opened it, walking up the stairs. There was a door to the right, which evidently led to the parents' room, and a steep stairwell up to a loft where she stayed. Finn helped her up the stairs and 'pretended' to stumble into her, tripping, and landing suggestively on her rear. She blushed, then pulled away quickly, opening the door to the loft. Without asking, he followed. "Nice room.", he said quietly, throwing his cloak on the ground. She nodded. "It's modest.", the girl replied, looking around. It had bland, wooden walls, a small window, and plenty of storage space. There was a hide rug, and a bland bed. Before doing anything else, Finn peeled off his shoulder gauntlets and chest armor, a linen shirt underneath. She looked over to him, surprised, as he walked up to her. Finn looked at her. "You know, I need a rest for the night, and the inn is pricey.", Finn declared. Alyss nodded in reply. "I know. And that Canius... He scares me.", she said jokingly. He chuckled and sat down on the bed. "Could you offer me a bed here?", he asked. She looked around the room, avoiding eye contact, and shrugged. "Don't know where you'll sleep...", she conceded. "Your bed is big enough.", Finn replied. She tilted her head back. "Right...", she implored. As he was saying this, Finn took off his boots and leg pauldrons, now wearing a simple pair of pants and a shirt. He walked over to her, and as she backed up, Alyss fell against the bed. Before she could stumble up, Finn moved down on top of her. The wench became red in the face as she realized the traveler's goal. He immediately leaned down and passionately kissed her, and she realized she was enjoying it. They sat up and he moved over, correctly unto the bed. He pulled her shirt off by the sleeves and put a hand forward, grabbing something out of view. She gasped with pleasure, peeling off his shirt. He smiled to himself and rolled over, peeling off Alyss' pants as she shoved his away with her foot. The next moment, they found themselves exploring each other's bodies with their mouths and fingers. Their lips locked, tongues fighting inside each other's mouths like snakes trapped in a box. His nostrils flared; he could feel her hipbones sawing at his lower body, their hearts hammering like machine guns, their breath burning into each other's throats. She let out an involuntary gasp as he drove inside her, her fingers clawing at his shoulders, wrapping themselves around his neck. Her thighs tightened around him, and with each thrust he drove deeper, his skin burning, the muscles of her arms clenching, the veins standing out blue against the sweat-slicked flesh. The awkwardness and uncertainty had evaporated, and raw, primal desire had rushed to fill the gap that had been left. Her throat arched and she let out a cry that lapsed into a shuddering gasp as he erupted inside her like a volcano. And then the light went out. 9 “783… 784… 785…” Dalamus counted as he neared the summit of the 800 Steps that lead to Ebonshard Keep, “789, 790, 791…” He’d stopped in the Pineford’s Central Hall in order to get directions to the Tower, and then visited the local Alchemist in order to rent an Enchanting Stone; a special gem that can be attached to specially altered weapons, in order to give them a magical effect. The Alchemist had even said Dalamus could keep the Frost Stone and get the coin back if he could return some of the previous Frost, Water, and Wind Stones he’d rented to previous Sellswords; he was sure that they’d be on the burned remains of the Mercenaries’ corpses. The Bachi knew that it’d be a long climb to the Keep, so he questioned whether there were really 800 steps up to the tower’s courtyard. “796, 797, 798…” He paused for a moment as he reached the last step, and looked upwards to behold the tower before him, “Huh… one step off…” He smiled, strolling across the court towards the large and ornamented double doors that would grant him entrance. Before he could even reach out and grasp the door handle though, he felt a great warmth building up behind him. Turning, he beheld a swirling pillar of white and blue flames; a fiery humanoid figure was floating within the eye of this storm of flames, “You must be the one they call Sojlerne Brand… the Inferno Natural of Ebonshard Keep…” Dalamus stated aloud. “''And ye’, cursed one, are intruding upon Sojlerne Brand’s chosen territory…''” The blue flames crackled and sparked, forming audible words, “''He entreats that you abscond from his domain, posthaste! Lest ye’ too experience the burning demise that his flames shall grant thee…''” Sojlerne spoke through its white-hot flames, which continued to swirl and burn around the equally fiery being within them, “I shall leave soon, my burning friend, but first I’d like to have a few words with you, if you will allow it…?” Dalamus asked civilly, his calm demeanor unaltered by the Natural’s sudden appearance, or threatening form. Sojlerne seemed to ponder this request for a moment, “''Very well, cursed one, Sojlerne shall grant thy request. Ask what ye’ crave my knowledge for, and he shall answer to the best of his abilities…''” The Natural’s fire seemed to lessen in intensity as it listened, “Thank you, Guardian, I shall make these questions quick so that I might continue with other business…” Dalamus bowed, “First, why is it that you’ve made Ebonshard Keep your territory?” “''Sojlerne has witnessed the shadowy acts that had taken place here before it became precious to him. The bastion had been the dwelling of a Necromancer Sect; one which sought to reanimate the dead, and use them for the purpose of villainy and devastation…''” The Natural answered through its circling fire. Dalamus frowned; this Elemental was apparently claiming to be protecting Pineford, by means of removing the cult of dark sorcerers from Ebonshard, “I see… and what of the warriors that I heard of? The ones who were sent here to wipe you out before…” The Bachi asked cautiously, trying not to reveal that he was in league with said Sellswords. Sojlerne either didn’t realize this, or it knew but was merely trying to uphold a peaceful situation, “''Dead… Sojlerne wished not to destroy them; however… the dark deeds were necessary in order to prevent the destruction of many more lives,” The Natural proclaimed, “''The agents of Kuolema must not be permitted to retake the Keep, lest they persist in their sinister work,” “You believed the warriors to be thralls of these Necromancers then?” Dalamus pondered, “''This was Sojlerne’s primary belief, that the Agents of the Death God had sent their unholy experiments to capture Ebonshard once more… but by thy tone, he now fears that he has performed deeds that were unnecessary to his cause…''” “Those men were Mercenaries, sent by the populace of Pineford; the city at the base of this mountain…” Dalamus informed the Natural, “The town’s head has a large bounty set upon your death, Guardian…” “''Sojlerne senses that ye' are no mere traveler, whom only wished to question him…''” The Natural’s flames began to increase in strength once again, “This is true Elemental. I, like the ones before me, was sent by Pineford to extinguish your fires…” Dalamus revealed, holding his hand up to shield his eyes as the light from Sojlerne intensified, “However, now that I have an understanding of why you protect this tower, I only wish to form a compromise between you, and the city of Pineford!” He shouted over the roaring fire. Sojlerne’s once calm and quiet voice now came to him as a monstrous roar, “''Be gone then from Sojlerne Brand’s territory, cursed one! Form thy pact with Pineford if you wish, but leave here till thy priorities are regulated!” The Natural bellowed; the humanoid form now completely engulfed by the thunderous pillar of flames, “''Sojlerne shall await for thy return, warrior, but ye' are warned that he shall not hesitate to remove you from this realm forever!” And with that, the massive swath of fire vanished completely; the only evidence of its existence was a spiral of black soot upon the stone courtyard. Dalamus licked his dry lips and gulped a little nervously; never had he encountered such a powerful Natural before. It would truly be unwise not to go through with his new plan, and disobey the godly spirit, “You still here Luft…?” He whispered, and the air near his left ear buzzed a little, “Good… I was afraid that the heat of his flames would’ve consumed you…” He sighed, heading back towards the 799 Steps that lead back down to Pineford; but he paused as a loud roar echoed from over the mountain, just as the first rays of the morning sun cleared the ridges. With the light came the dark shape of a Dragon, swooping down the crest of the hills… and strait towards the city! “Great… more trouble…” 10 After the... 'encounter', Finn had slept better than he had in ages. He was accustomed to sleeping on damp, hard soil with a horse at his side and a hide tent over his head. And for the first time in a month; he had enjoyed his rest. The early morning light peeked through the closed linen curtains, a certain ray of light hitting Finn's head. He turned around to avoid the light, met with the unruly blond tendrils of hair tickling his face. She awoke and smiled at him. "What a nice night...", Alyss said to him. He smiled at her and leaned over to kiss her, but then there was a distant rumble, and the bed shook. "What was that?", Finn queried. "Probably just some mob...", she responded, reaching under the covers. But then there was a roar, and the wall of the loft was destroyed as a massive ball of flaming debris came through the window and shattered the ground beneath it, setting the hide rug alight. "What in hell!?", Alyss screamed. Finn jumped up and ran over to his shirt, throwing it and his pants on quickly. "Get your parents and get to safety!", Finn croaked, hopping over the bed and grabbing his chest armor and boots. He threw his cloak on and realized that he didn't have time for the rest. Glancing out of the window, he heard the blood-curdling roar of a dragon, followed by the immediate blaze of a fire. He saw a vague winged form disappear above him. He looked over to Alyss, and ran over to the hole in the wall. "Go!", he yelled, motioning to her with his hand to go. Finn didn't bother to pull his hood up. He slung his longbow onto his back and then jumped out of the window, clattering unto the awning outside of it. The agile rogue then ran across the shallow awning and unto a roof, looking back as a chunk of the parallel building was thrown from its place in the ground and unto the loft, crushing the flimsy wooden addition to the house. He ran across the adobe roof and dodged flames emanating from the massive beast's mouth. It was obviously fully grown, and why it was wandering into a city was unknown. The next building was obliterated as more rubble slammed into it. Finn took advantage of the falling rock and quickly hopped across a rock, thrusting it down. The extra force propelled him into what remained of the second floor of the unknown building. Finn ran down the stairs and in one flick of the wrist, his knife appeared in his hand. He used the hilt of it to ram open the wooden door. Finn looked up and leaped left as a piece of timber framing crushed the doorway behind him. He heard screams as a young boy was impacted by a massive shard of cobblestone. Many citizens were running every which way, trying to avoid the attacker. Finn ducked through the alley, sliding under another piece of timber framing. He ran to the right, and realized that the alley before him was blocked. Quickly glancing around, he saw that many pieces of the two buildings before him were cracked and edges were jeering out. Finn used one as a foothold, the weak brick collapsing as he jumped from brick to brick and over the debris. The corner club seemed unscathed, aside from a massive fire in the back of it. Finn whistled and one horse sprinted out of the stables. Beggar was loyal, that was for sure. He was the only horse that didn't run like no tomorrow at the first sight of a dragon. Finn leaped onto his small, nimble steed and noticed that the timber walls on the right of the town were still intact, and there was no way out from there. He reared the horse and steered him around, avoiding the debris that was headed for him. The shallow alley from the main entrance to the city to the bar was blocked as one of the buildings had fallen over. Beggar sprinted to another alleyway, ducking low as a piece of the building toppled over behind the two, jarring itself just over their heads. They steered unto the main road and saw a narrow pathway that the debris hadn't covered. Beggar used every bit of his energy to get out of the city. A large chunk of the top of the roof of a surrounding building collapsed over, Beggar quickly vaulting over it. Finn steered him right, as the main gate was blocked by what remained of the two central guard towers. To the right was a massive hole in the woodwork, splintered shards remaining as a fireball had engulfed what had been. Finn pulled up on the reins as the horse sprinted unto the ashen grass. Beggar leaped up, over the remains of the timber, and Finn instantly felt safer. The rogue shrugged his steed to the left, giving him a good view of the town, and a good way to avoid it. The massive dragon circled it many times, throwing fire with every pass. "Glad to be out of there...", he mumbled to no one in particular. His horse shrugged his back and forth, an apparently saying; I agree completely. 11